TSA extends face mask mandate for airplanes

Bloomberg

Passengers on airplanes, buses and railroads in the US will have to keep wearing masks to guard against the spread of Covid-19 as federal officials extended a mandate that was set to expire within days through the busy summer travel season.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it was extending the mandate through September 13. The move is in step with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which still advises face coverings to limit the spread of the coronavirus in crowded indoor spaces, even for people who have been vaccinated.
“The federal mask requirement throughout the transportation system seeks to minimise the spread of Covid-19 on public transportation,” Darby LaJoye, the TSA’s acting administrator, said in a press release. “Right now, about half of all adults have at least one vaccination shot and masks remain an important tool in defeating this pandemic.”
The mask mandate, which went into effect on February 1 and had been set to expire on May 11, is a signature of President Joe Biden’s administration. Agencies under former President Donald Trump had recommended masks, but there was no requirement. The mandate, unpopular with some Americans, has at times led to civil fines for violators.
The extension was applauded by the Airports Council International-North America trade group and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union. “Leadership is everything,” Sara Nelson, president of the flight-attendants union, said. “We’ve made tremendous efforts to get the pandemic under control, but we’re not quite there yet. Continuing the TSA enforcement directive for the CDC transportation mask mandate will keep passengers and aviation workers safe.”